


Her Final Breath

by Dramaticdragon



Category: Moana (2016)
Genre: Angst, But still sad, Post Movie, elderly moana, very peaceful and calm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-03
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-13 07:12:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13565481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dramaticdragon/pseuds/Dramaticdragon
Summary: After years of sailing the ocean and traveling to countless islands, Moana has finally reached a point in her life where it is time to stop sailing, but not without one final trip.





	Her Final Breath

**Author's Note:**

> just rewatched moana and made this! Simple sweet and sad, but with a peaceful ending

 

            Moana led her small canoe proudly into the shallow sand of yet another island. They’d been staying at this island for a few months now, setting up some simple houses and farms to get their food stock back up before their next voyage. Moana was simply out to try to catch some fish out by the edge of their reef. However, at her age, it was pretty hard to do a lot of the bending and reaching of fishing, so she didn’t come back with a whole lot, but it wasn’t a problem. This island was blessed by Te Fiti, as were their previous islands, giving them ample harvests.

            As she stepped off her canoe, Moana glanced into the shallow water to see her reflection. It was a bit foggy due to the sand, but the image was still clear enough. Her once flowing long black hair was now much shoulder, and hardly any dark strains remained through all the gray. Her face was long, with many wrinkles of age. Her eyes were more sunk in, but their deep brown glow still showed her years of experience and wisdom.

            Still, wisdom or no wisdom, it would be foolish to ignore the pain in her joints from simply stepping out of a canoe. She always carried her long cane to help her balance, and couldn’t walk for a long period of time without breaks.

            Her people were still strong. Her people were growing, and with each coming generation, the passion for voyaging and exploring only grew. The children were full of life and excitement, and could hardly sit still on an island for more than a week before wanting to set off again. Although the title of “Chief” never really went away until you passed, Moana’s eldest child was becoming far more of a Chief then her now. It was only expected, it happened with every generation. Moana took up from her father when he became this age, after all. Her grandchildren already showed the signs of good leadership, helping with more repairs of the boats than Moana could count. It was beautiful, watching generations grow up to be even better wayfinders than her.

            But Moana knew she couldn’t watch for much longer. Each step brought pain to her knees, and she couldn’t balance her hand high enough to map the skies clearly. But she had enough in her for one last voyage. She had been planning this for a few years now, but something inside her was waiting until now. She never directly told her children her plan, but they were smart enough to figure it out. How Moana would sit out at night and map from their island, mumbling to herself about the shortest route to somewhere. And they could see the way Moana held their hands as they ate by the fire. They were already at peace with her decision, and she had not even begun it. She was proud of them. She knew her people would thrive under them.

            The moon was up, bright and full in the sky. She used her cane to pull herself to the smallest of their canoes. It resembled her very first one so closely, for a moment she forgot she had aged at all. With one last look at the island, she set off into the dark night’s sea.

            It was going to be a full night of sailing, and she knew she wouldn’t reach her destination until well into the coming morning. But she was prepared. She knew the way.

            The moon’s light glistened on the black waters. However, it wasn’t black for long. Soon after her island was out of view, the water was illuminated. A large, blue, glowing stingray floated from below her canoe. It slowly rose upwards, and Moana let her aged hand hang out into the water, rubbing her soft skin. As she rubbed the giant stingray, Moana heard a loud cry from the skies. She looked up, and she could make out the silhouette of a large hawk from the light of a moon. It cawed down to her, flying circles above the boat, while the stingray followed suit below her.

            Soon enough, Moana’s boat hit land. Taking a deep sigh, she stared out onto the glorious island. The hills were shaped into the silhouette of a sleeping woman, and the grass was greener here than anywhere else Moana had ever seen.

            Taking her cane into her hand, Moana stepped onto the soft sand. Slowly but surely, she made her way up the vast hills. She wasn’t going anywhere in particular, just decided to go up until she couldn’t any more.

            Nothing had ever died on this island. Life _came_ from this island. There was a small part in Moana’s heart that worried what she was doing was wrong, but she was comforted by the flowers that all turned to face her as she walked, as if she were the sun.

            As she walked, Moana found a beautiful large stone. She sat down next to it, resting her back against it. She laid her cane by her side, and stared out onto the island-side. The sun reflected off the ocean water, and that ever-persistent giant hawk still flew in circles, protectively.  The green on this island glistened, overflowing with life. Maybe it was a touch ironic, but Moana found it fitting.

            She always followed her heart, no matter what stood against her. And this is where her heart told her to be. Maybe this was her way of dedicating the last of her life force, to give back to everything that she owed her life to. To the islands Te Fiti gave them, to the ocean that she rode for years of her life, to the winds that filled her sails. This was her hope to giving back to all of them. Her children would take care of them, and their children’s children.

            Taking her last few deep breaths, Moana rubbed the grass below her, thanking Te Fiti for everything. Her life was beautiful and well-lived, and she was happy to end it here.


End file.
